The Negroni’s Lighter, Saner Progenitor

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Made with Campari, sweet vermouth and soda, the Americano is a light summertime drink.

By Robert Simonson

May 20, 2013

The Negroni is enjoying a moment now. For bartenders and barflies, this deliciously complex mix of Campari, gin and sweet vermouth has become an easy way to fly one’s flag as a knowing cocktail classicist. But the drink’s rising profile has cast a shadow over its once-popular progenitor, the Americano. Without this refreshing Italian-born highball — Campari, sweet vermouth and club soda — there would have been no blueprint for the gin-loving Count Camillo Negroni to experiment with a century ago. (The drink’s family line actually goes back even farther; the Americano grew out of a simpler aperitif that omitted the soda, called the Milano-Torino — Milano in honor of the birthplace of Campari, Torino for the vermouth.)

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An Americano from the East Village's Amor y Amargo.CreditTodd Heisler/The New York Times

While the Americano doesn’t have quite the romance that’s grown around the Negroni, it also doesn’t have nearly as much alcohol. It’s a lighter and saner choice for summertime drinking. A pitcher of Americanos enjoyed on the back patio during a hot afternoon will not leave you down for the, uh, count.

Combine 1½ ounces Campari with 1½ ounces sweet vermouth in a highball glass filled with ice. Top with club soda. Garnish with a generous orange twist.

A version of this article appears in print on , Section D, Page 7 of the New York edition with the headline: The Sips of Summer: Americano. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe